Creative Midwifery

The most interesting things in life are not built, but born. You don't build a child, you nurture it. You don't build a song, you listen for it and coax it into existence. You don't build a great company, you cultivate the conditions for it to emerge.

Yet, we often approach creativity with the mindset of construction workers. We try to hammer ideas into shape, forcing them to conform to our preconceived notions and expectations. We treat our minds like factories, churning out products on demand.

But what if creativity were more akin to gardening, or even midwifery? What if our role as creators was not to build, but to assist in the birth of something new, something that already exists in potential, waiting to be brought into the world?

I call this "creative midwifery", and yes, Socrates had this thought first in a slightly different context.

The Art of Letting Go

The first step in becoming a creative midwife (for yourself or for another human being) is to let go of the illusion of control. We often cling to our ideas with a possessive grip, afraid to deviate from our initial vision (even if this vission is justa mirage). But true creativity often arises from the unexpected, from the surprising twists and turns that emerge when we allow the idea to guide us, rather than the other way around.

As Keth Jarret said, you can either be in the improvisation or be an "improvisation ecologist" who understands the rules and constraints and intentions... but whose improvisation is ultimately stillborn.

Think of a sculptor working with a piece of marble. They begin with a vague idea of what they want to create, but the final form emerges from a dialogue with the stone itself. The sculptor listens to the grain, the fissures, the inherent qualities of the material, and allows these to shape the final outcome. They don't force the marble to become something it's not; they help it become what it is meant to be. Carving out, not carving up.

Similarly, the creative midwife approaches an idea with a sense of openness and curiosity. They are willing to abandon their initial plans, to follow the threads that lead them in unexpected directions. They trust that the idea itself knows where it wants to go, and their role is simply to provide the conditions for it to get there.

Cultivating the Fertile Ground

The second key element of creative midwifery is cultivating the fertile ground in which ideas can take root and flourish. This involves creating a mental and emotional environment that is conducive to creativity: a space of curiosity, playfulness, and receptivity. A habit of the mind that is open to the unexpected.

Like a gardener preparing the soil, the creative midwife tends to their mind, nourishing it with everything life throws at them. They read widely, listen attentively, and engage in conversations that challenge their assumptions. They practice having their hook out in the water at all times, whether the fishes are biting or not.

Assisting the Birth

Finally, the creative midwife plays an active role in assisting the birth of the idea. And this active role is mostly about confidence, about trust... almost faith in the process.

Like a midwife assisting a mother in labor, the creative midwife is present, attentive, and responsive, but is not the one giving birth. They trust that the idea has its own inherent intelligence, its own unique path to follow. Their job is to clear the way.

In a world increasingly dominated by algorithms and automation, it's easy to feel like we are losing our agency, our ability to shape our own destinies. But creative midwifery offers a different perspective: a way of working with technology, rather than being controlled by it. By embracing a more humble and receptive approach to creativity, we can harness the power of technology to bring forth new possibilities, new forms of expression, and new ways of being human.

Think of it as a larger pond. With more fishes. Beautiful fishes. Weird fishes. Do you have your hook out?